Sorrow at a Time of Joy

This meditation is for moments in which an unexpected grief arrives in a moment of joy. A family death before a bar mitzvah. A sudden illness before a wedding. This appears in my new book, This Grateful Heart: Psalms and Prayers for a New Day.

Sorrow at a Time of Joy
Sorrow comes,
Unbidden,
Amidst the routines of our days
And the joys of this life.

How much loss can one endure?
How much sorrow can one face?
Grief has arrived,
Casting a pall over the joys that remain.
Even as we celebrate,
We’re overcome with distress.
Tragedy has struck.

G-d of comfort,
Help us through this difficult time.
Help us to be present for one another
And to find moments of calm and quiet,
Perhaps finding moments of joyous memory and laughter,
As we struggle together.

© 2017 CCAR Press from This Grateful Heart: Psalms and Prayers For a New Day

Postscript: See “Seasons of Sorrow,” which also appears in This Grateful Heart.

Please check out my Meet the Author video and This Grateful Heart: Psalms and Prayers for a New Day. For reprint permissions and usage guidelines and reprint permissions, see “Share the Prayer!” For notices of new prayers, please subscribe. You can also connect on Facebook and Twitter.

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